Classifications

• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C07—ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
  • C07C—ACYCLIC OR CARBOCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
  • C07C209/00—Preparation of compounds containing amino groups bound to a carbon skeleton
  • C07C209/04—Preparation of compounds containing amino groups bound to a carbon skeleton by substitution of functional groups by amino groups
  • C07C209/06—Preparation of compounds containing amino groups bound to a carbon skeleton by substitution of functional groups by amino groups by substitution of halogen atoms
  • C07C209/10—Preparation of compounds containing amino groups bound to a carbon skeleton by substitution of functional groups by amino groups by substitution of halogen atoms with formation of amino groups bound to carbon atoms of six-membered aromatic rings or from amines having nitrogen atoms bound to carbon atoms of six-membered aromatic rings

Definitions

• the field of this invention is carbocyclic amines. More particularly, this invention relates to an improvement in the known processes for making para-nitrodiphenylamines.
• R and R 1 are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and alkyl radicals (1-9C).
• R 2 and R 3 are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl radicals containing from 1 to 9 carbon atoms (1-9C), alkoxy radicals 1-9C and cycloalkyl radicals 5-6C.
• cuprous cyanide at a concentration of at least 0.1 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the para-halonitrobenzene; (5) at a temperature of 170° to 215° C.; (6) at a pressure of from atmospheric to about 300 kPa (kilopascals); and (7) with an excess of primary aromatic amine of from 5 to 300%.
• a preferred pressure is about atmospheric pressure.
• the formanilide process which is similar to the above catalytic process except for the following: (1) there is no catalyst; (2) instead of a primary aromatic amine, the second reactant is a formanilide of the following structural formula: ##STR4## (3) the temperature range of the reaction is from 120° to 195° C.; and (4) there is from 0 to 100% excess formanilide over the amount theoretically necessary to react with the para-halonitrobenzene.
• this step serves the important function of removing the acid (HX) which can impede the main nucleophilic substitution reaction.
• a moderately good yield of para-nitrodiphenylamine (75-90%) can be obtained by the catalytic process; but the reaction times are somewhat long (10-24 hours). The best yield are obtained at temperatures lower than 205° C. and at times in excess of 12 hours.
• the product quality suffers by having a fair amount of tars and by-products in the final product.
• the work-up or purification of this product is faster than in the formanilide process, and the COD level of the wastewater stream resulting from this work-up is generally less than that resulting from the work-up of the formanilide process.
• the reaction mixture is cooled to below about 100° C., and water and an organic liquid which azeotropes with water are added to the reaction mixture.
• the amount of water added is sufficient to dissolve the inorganic salts present.
• the azeotroping organic liquid is added in sufficient quantity to facilitate a rapid separation of the aqueous and organic phase.
• the resulting mixture is agitated at an elevated temperature (e.g. approximately 85° C.) for a time sufficient to transfer most of the inorganic salts to the water phase.
• the agitation is stopped, and the aqueous and organic phases are permitted to separate.
• the aqueous phase containing inorganic salt ions e.g.
• cuprous, cyanide, potassium, chloride and carbonate the azeotroping organic liquid (e.g. toluene or benzene), aniline, and some para-chloronitrobenzene, flows to effluent treatment.
• This water wash and decant step is followed by an azeotropic distillation. After this azeotropic drying step, the last traces of inorganic salts come out of solution, and they can be removed by filtration of the hot organic phase.
• the work-up of the formanilide process involves the steps of: (1) cooling the mixture below about 100° C.; (2) adding an organic liquid which forms a minimum boiling azeotrope with water; (3) adding water and an hydrolysis catalyst (e.g. 15% NaOH); (4) agitating the resulting mixture at an elevated temperature (e.g. approximately 95° C.) for a time sufficient to hydrolize the excess formanilide remaining (e.g. 11/2 hours); (5) stopping the agitation and permitting the aqueous and organic phases to separate; and (6) decanting the aqueous layer, containing inorganic salts (e.g. KCl, NaOH and unreacted K 2 CO 3 ), alkali metal formates (e.g.
• inorganic salts e.g. KCl, NaOH and unreacted K 2 CO 3
• alkali metal formates e.g.
• aniline the main organic in the catalytic process effluent stream.
• aniline the main organic in the catalytic process effluent stream.
• Most of the aniline obtained from the hydrolysis remains in the organic phase and may be recovered by distillation later in the process.
• the above procedure can be followed by a hot water wash. This consists of adding water to the organic phase and agitating the two phases at an elevated temperature (85°-90° C.) and thereafter decanting the two phases to remove any residual inorganic salts and unhydrolyzed formanilide in the water phase which is sent to effluent treatment.
• the formanilide process reaction normally takes from 4 to 9 hours with a product yield of from about 85 to 98%. The best yields are obtained at the lower temperatures, but require the longest times. However, the hydrolysis reaction in the work-up at the end of the reaction is time consuming and reduces the time advantage that the formanilide process has over the catalytic process.
• Japanese Patent Publication No. 70/09452 discloses the use of diethylformamide and cupric iodide as a catalyst system in a catalytic type process.
• Netherlands application No. 65/06527 discloses the use of amides (e.g. acetanilide) in a catalytic type process.
• n 6 or more
• R" and R' are alkyl, aryl or cycloalkyl.
• This patent also discusses the use of macrocyclic polyethers having about 4-20 oxygen atoms, each being separated by two carbon atoms as solubilizing agents for inorganic salts. The above solubilizing agents are described in the Belgian patent as useful in catalyzing substitution reactions.
• the present invention is a solution to the problem of long reaction times which avoids the disadvantages inherent in the use of DMF or water, and at the same time it results in higher yields and fewer by-products.
• a solubilizing agent selected from the group consisting of:
• polyethers having as a major part of their structure the moiety ##STR7## wherein R 4 is selected from the group consisting of methyl and hydrogen, R 5 is selected from the group consisting of --H and --OH, n 1 is 0 or 1, n 2 is equal to or greater than 1; and
• polyethers of (1) (b) above are the following: ##STR8## wherein R 6 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, hydroxy, alkyl (1-30 C), alkyloxy (1-30 C), alkyl phenoxy (1-30 C), phenoxy and acetoxy, and wherein R 7 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl (1-30 C), alkyl phenyl (1-30 C) and phenyl;
• solubilizing agents of this invention are non-volatile and do not distill with the reactor overheads during the reaction, unlike DMF.
• the solubilizing agents employed in this invention act as detergents cutting the tars from the inorganic salts, thus alleviating the need to form a separate water phase into which the inorganics are extracted. It is possible to remove the salts by filtering the reaction product directly. Even in the normal work-up the filter cake is granular and free of organics after a simple toluene cake wash; whereas, in the absence of the solubilizing agent the cake is sticky and tarry.
• the preferred solubilizing agents are the polyethers, wherein R 4 and R 5 are hydrogen and n 1 is O. Of these compounds, the more preferred are polyethylene glycols and alkoxy terminated polyethylene glycols, e.g. methoxy terminated polyethylene glycols.
• Solubilizing agents with long chain polyether moieties are preferred; however, as molecular weight increases over about 20,000 viscosity of the reacting mixture can become a problem (undo amounts of energy spent in agitation).
• the benefits of higher molecular weight are: (1) a further lowering of copper salt ion concentration in effluent water and (2) easier handling characteristics (less waxy than low molecular weight polyethers).
• the relatively low molecular weight solubilizing agents which fit the definition given in the summary e.g. macrocyclic ethers and short chain polyethylene glycols
• reaction rate up to a point. This point is about 4-6 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of para-chloronitrobenzene (PCNB) in the case of the linear polyethers and about one to two parts by weight per 100 parts PCNB in the case of the macrocyclic polyethers. Also, as concentration of the solubilizing agent increases, reaction yield may decrease.
• PCNB para-chloronitrobenzene
• solubilizing agents of this invention work by loosely coordinating the alkali metal cation of the neutralizing agent.
• the solubilizing agents are illustrated by the following list:
• polyethylene glycol approximate MW 380-420, sold as Carbowax 1 -400
• Polyetheylene glycol approximate MW 3000-3700, sold as Carbowax 1 -4000
• Polyethylene glycol approximate MW 6000-7500, sold as Carbowax 1 -6000
• Polyethylene glycol linearpolymer about MW 15,000 obtained as polyethylene glycol compound 20M from Union Carbide Corporation
• Partially branched polyethylene glycol approximate MW 15,000 obtained as polyethylene glycol compound 20M - partially branched polymer from Union Carbide Corp.
• Polyethylene glycol about 12,500-15,000 MW, sold as Carbowax 1 -14,000
• Linear polyethylene oxide approximate MW 400,000 sold as Polyox 1 WSR-N-3000
• Methoxy capped polyethylene glycol polymer approximate MW 335-365, sold as Carbowax 1 Methoxy Polyethylene Glycol 350.
• Methoxy capped polyethylene glycol polymer approximate MW 525-575, sold as Carbowax 1 Methoxy Polyethylene Glycol 550
• Methoxy capped polyethylene glycol polymer approximately 1900 MW, sold as Carbowax 1 Methoxy Polyethylene Glycol - 2000
• Methoxy polyethylene glycol polymer approximately 5000 MW, sold as Carbowax 1 Methoxy Polyethylene Glycol - 5000
• Crude Yield ((weight of product after work-up minus weight of SA)/(theoretical weight p-NO 2 DPA at 100 percent conversion)) ⁇ 100.
• Parts parts by weight per 100 parts by weight PCNB.
• ppm parts per million or milligrams per liter.
• Peg polyethylene glycol
• solubilizing agents wherein R 6 is an alkoxyphenoxy moiety and R 7 is hydrogen are illustrated by compounds 7 through 14 of the above list. It is actually the long polyether or polyethylene oxide part of the molecule which is postulated to be the active part of the molecule for solubilization.
• Polyether solubilizing agents having the generic structure of formula (X) wherein R 6 is alkoxy, H, or hydroxy and R 7 is alkyl or hydrogen and represented by compounds numbers 1,2, 4-6, 25-31, and 36-40.
• a polyethylene glycol 3,000-10,000 MW
• a methoxy terminate PEG 750-5,000 MW
• the preferred catalysts in this system are cuprous salts (e.g. cuprous cyanide).
• the preferred reaction temperature is in a range of 185° to 205° C.
• the order of addition of ingredients is limited as follows: if the catalyst is added at the same time as the solubilizing agent, they must be added when the reacting mixture is at reaction temperature (e.g. 185° C.). If the solubilizing agent is added at the beginning, before reaction temperature is reached, the catalyst must be added after the mixture has reached reaction temperature. If the catalyst is added at the beginning, before reaction temperature has been reached, the solubilizing agent must be added after the mixture has reached reaction temperature. Of the three methods, the latter two are preferred. It has been found that there is an interaction between the catalyst the SA, and the neutralizing agent at a temperature below reaction temperature which forms an unreactive complex.
• the catalyst level should generally be from 0.9 to 1 part when Cu 2 (CN) 2 is used.
• the preferred work-up in the catalytic process using solubilizing agents is direct filtration of the hot reaction product without the water wash and azeotropic distillation steps previously described.
• the SA is a methoxy terminated PEG (750-5000 MW) or a PEG (300-7500 MW), charged at a level of 1-5 parts. Reaction temperature is 55° to 175° C.
• the formanilide process with the inclusion of solubilizing agents is preferred to the catalytic process.
• crown ethers and alkyl or alkoxy terminated polyethylene glycols allow the use of sodium carbonate in the preparation of P-NO 2 DPA, instead of K 2 CO 3 as a neutralizing agent. There are advantages of cost and the elimination of potassium ions from the effluent stream which make sodium carbonate a preferable neutralizing agent.
• the toluene was added through the dropping funnel at a rate of approximately 1 to 2 drops per second to maintain an overhead temperature of 105°-125° C. and a reaction temperature of 185°-190° C.
• the reaction was run as long as necessary to reduce the H 2 O flow rate to the Dean-Stark trap down to about 0.1 ml./hour and to obtain about 6.25 to 6.75 ml. H 2 O total.
• Toluene/aniline mixture collected in the graduated cylinder and was recycled back through dropping funnel, maintaining the aniline outside the reaction to a mini
• the heavies remaining were weighed to determine the crude-yield (136 grams theory).
• the hot stripped heavies were then poured into an evaporating dish and allowed to crystallize.
• the crystallized product was crushed and analyzed by liquid and gas chromatography.
• the reactions were run in an oil heated gallon reactor, equipped with a button drain, charge port and thermocouples located in the reactor and oil entering the jacket of the reactor.
• the reactor pot was stirred with a 3-inch turbine stirrer and driven with a variable speed motor.
• a thermocouple above the insulated packed column measured the overheads as they came through the column and another thermocouple was located about 2 inches down in the berl saddles near the top of the column.
• the 12-in. ⁇ 2-in. column was added as a water trap and had a 3/8 inch tube coming up through the bottom and extended approximately 11/2 inch up into the trap. The bottom of the trap had a drain so that water could be drained off into a graduated cylinder.
• the aniline-toluene solution was continuously pumped back to the top of the insulated column and some back to the reactor.
• the pumping was controlled with a variable stroke bellows pump. Retometers on the recycle to the top of the insulated column and to the reactor controlled and indicated the flow rates.
• PCNB para-chloronitrobenzene
• the agitator was turned on -- 9.45 gms. Cu 2 (CN) 2 was added with stirring.
• the preheated oil from the oil furnace was then pumped into the jacket of the reactor and after an approximate 3/4-1 hour heat-up -- a typical reaction with a rapid heat profile occurred as indicated. Such a rapid heat profile is preferred.
• the reactor was cooled to 120°-125° C. with the aid of an external water cooled condenser on the oil lines to the pot.
• the reaction product mixture was removed from the reactor through a preheated bottom drain.
• the hot organic solution was filtered through a preheated filter (140°-150° C.) and stripped to 190° C. at 15 mm. Hg. vacuum. Approximately 1230-1250 gms. product was obtained vs. a theory of 1285 gms.
• the product was analyzed using an LC chromotograph bonded column.
• the water layer containing the dissolved salts was analyzed for Cu, CN and aniline.
• the reaction was worked up by just filtering off the inorganics, i.e. the hot reaction product mixture was filtered through a preheated filter (140°-150° C.).
• the inorganic cake was washed 3 times with 300-350 ml. of boiling toluene.
• the SA facilitated the filtering operation by helping to cut the tars off the inorganic salts.
• the resulting dried cake was a gray powdered solid.
• the resulting mixture containing formanilide, was distilled to remove the toluene/water azeotrope (about 38 ml. of H 2 O).
• the reaction was then cooled to about 100°-125° C., and 200 ml. of toluene was added.
• the excess formanilide was mostly destroyed by adding 200 ml. water with 30 grams NaOH solution to the reaction mixture at a temperature below 100° C. and maintaining a 90°-95° C. temperature for 11/2 hours with stirring.
• the aqueous layer after the hydrolysis reaction, was drawn off and the remaining unhydrolyzed formanilide was destroyed by adding a second wash of 200 ml. of H 2 O and maintaining 85°-95° C. temperature with stirring for approximately 1 hour. This water layer was discarded, and the organic layer was azeotropically distilled to remove the last traces of water.
• the reaction solution was filtered hot to remove any traces of inorganic salts.
• the crystallized product was crushed and analyzed.
• the 100 grams of K 2 CO 3 used constitutes a high level of K 2 CO 3 neutralizing agent. This compares with a 78.5 gram charge (with PCNB proportions being the same) used in the catalyzed process.
• the water/toluene azeotrope is condensed in the water condenser, and flows down into the Dean-Stark trap where the aqueous layer separates and settles to the bottom from which it may be withdrawn.
• the toluene layer overflows the side tube of the Dean-Stark trap returning to the reaction flask.
• a reservoir of toluene is held in the dropping funnel on one of the other three necks of the reaction flask, and this reservoir serves as the means for controlling reaction temperature more closely than by procedure III.
• Heat is added through a heating tensile surrounding the reaction flask. Temperature may be lowered by adding toluene from the dropping funnel, and temperature may be raised by removing toluene through the stopcock in the Dean-Stark trap.
• Table 5 indicates that the polyglycol adducts when used as solubilizing agents also result in greatly reduced reaction times and lower levels of water pollution. The yields in most runs were equivalent to or greater than the control.
• Runs 1, 2 and 3 were done by Process III, the rest by Process IV.
• the data in Table 6 show that the formanilide process with the solubilizing agents is capable of even shorter reaction time than the catalytic process.

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• 1978
  • 1978-03-08 US US05/884,502 patent/US4155936A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
• 1979
  • 1979-01-31 CA CA000320630A patent/CA1119198A/en not_active Expired
  • 1979-02-22 GB GB7906302A patent/GB2015992B/en not_active Expired
  • 1979-02-23 MX MX176712A patent/MX150947A/es unknown
  • 1979-03-05 IT IT48214/79A patent/IT1114460B/it active
  • 1979-03-06 BR BR7901339A patent/BR7901339A/pt unknown
  • 1979-03-07 DE DE19792908804 patent/DE2908804A1/de active Granted
  • 1979-03-08 FR FR7905935A patent/FR2419277A1/fr active Granted
  • 1979-03-08 JP JP2724579A patent/JPS54125622A/ja active Granted

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